Downton Drabble Series
by downtonabigail
Summary: An ongoing series of Cobert drabbles, prompts from tumblr and my own mind! Some sexytimes, some fluff and some family friendly too so rated M to be safe (and sexy).
1. Chapter 1

_Imagine person A of your OTP gazing affectionately at their child as s/he is working/doing something/busy. When person B enters person A notes how their child acts just like person B, but then their child does something unexpected that neither of them would do._

Sybil, already the most adventurous of the three Crawley girls, had taken her first steps earlier than either of her sisters - just ten months and she had begun to teeter around the nursery. Cora had missed her first steps, much to her dismay, but Mary and Edith had both watched as Sybil rather calmly steadied herself and took a few steps away from Mary in the nursery- much to Nanny's amazement. Mary had raced downstairs - abandoning her lesson - to tell Cora and was displeased to see her mother's face crumple with disappointment - Cora, of course, was only disappointed that she had not been there to see it herself.

Watching the girls play together - Mary and Edith almost instantaneously bickering about a doll and Sybil pleasantly giggling to herself as she pounded her little feet along the nursery floor, Cora felt her heart quicken - three beautiful daughters. She couldn't imagine loving them more, though, sometimes she looked at them and felt an ache not of love- but of failed destiny. If only one had been a boy. She would quickly snap herself out of this thinking, because she couldn't imagine being without any of her girls - perhaps, then, a boy _in addition _to them.

Sybil turned, wobbling, and saw her mother peeking into the nursery from the doorway. She totted over, plunking down after a few unsteady steps, but picking herself right back up again as she determinedly made her way for Cora.

"Hello my baby," Cora said, gathering her skirts and kneeling down to receive Sybil, "My baby, my beauty." She embraced Sybil, lifting her up. As she did, she heard Robert behind her.

"Where's nanny?" he said, looking over Cora's shoulder.

"Oh, she's just run downstairs to get some thread - one of Mary's dresses needs mending. I told her I would watch the girls a moment." she placed a kiss on Sybil's head, brushing her dark tresses from her eyes, "This one has her Papa's resilience, so it seems." she said, smiling up at Robert, "You should see her, she's walking around, toppling over, and then picking herself right back up - onward march!"

Robert grinned proudly at his daughter, opening his arms for Cora to pass her to him.

"Sybil, darling, you're going to be a handful aren't you?" he said, bringing his face close to hers.

With what he could only describe later as a decidedly mischievous grin, Sybil leaned in and bit her father's nose.


	2. Chapter 2

_Imagine your OTP sleeping together in the same bed. Person A starts crying and screaming while having a nightmare. Person B wakes Person A up and comforts them._

At first, when Robert had returned from Africa, Cora found that his sleeping habits had become greatly disturbed. She had been warned of this, however, particularly by the Dowager Countess almost from the moment he had left to join the war. With her daughters still relatively young, Sybil only four when her father had left for the war and now six, it wasn't uncommon for Cora's sleeping schedule to be periodically interrupted by a girl's bad dream or unrelenting chest cold. Still, she did not feel adequately prepared for the night terrors. She would awake to find him thrashing, sweaty and calling out. It was as though his body had forgotten in sleep that he was home safely. She would try to gently coax him awake, if only long enough to interrupt the images that trapped him in a nightmare, but some nights even being pulled from such dreams seemed to do little for his anxiety.

One night had been particularly traumatic for them both. Robert had come to bed later than usual, and though Cora was nearly asleep herself, she managed to be just far enough removed from deep sleep to press herself up against him when he settled into the sheets beside her. She felt his body begin to relax against her touch and she had fallen asleep hoping that the night would be a peaceful one for them both.

She woke - unsure of how much time had elapsed, but it couldn't have been long after he'd fallen asleep - to the feeling of his body jerking next to her - and fully startled awake when she felt him swiftly kick her in the stomach.

She cried out - more surprised than hurt. She propped herself up on her elbow and furrowed her brow, squinting at Robert in the dark. In the shade of moonlight she could just make out his contorted face, glistening with sweat. She brought her hand to his forehead and gently soothed his hair, hoping that she could lull him out of his nightmare.

"My darling, Robert, wake up. It's only a dream." she said, her voice low. Robert struggled to wake, as though he were constantly being pulled back into the darkness. Cora lowered herself back beneath the covers and wrapped her arms around him tightly, pressing her small frame to his.

"Oh, my darling." she said, pressing her face into his neck. After a few moments, he calmed, and she felt him sigh against her- as though the demons had left his body, his spirit lightened.

"Cora . . .?" he croaked, his voice shaking.

"Yes, I'm here my darling. You're safe. You're home." she said, pressing her lips to his neck and pulling him closer. She felt Robert relax into her body and then, as though the exhaustion had completely overcome him at last, he began to softly cry. She felt her own face dampen with tears and after a few moments, they both sunk down into wasted and whimpering slumber.


	3. Chapter 3

_Imagine your OTP putting their animal in socks to see how they walk with them on._

"That'll be all, O'Brien. Good night." Cora said, turning to her lady's maid. O'Brien nodded and headed for the door. As she opened it, she nearly tripped over Isis, who was laying in the hall. She cried out in surprise.

"What is it, O'Brien?!" Cora said, her hand flying to her chest in surprise.

"Sorry to startle you, m'lady. Your lordship's dog took me by surprise is all." She nodded sheepishly at her ladyship and stepped carefully over Isis. The dog, Robert's loyal companion, sat expectantly in the doorway. She was now entering her dotage and Robert had made more allowances for the dog as a reward for her committed companionship through the years. While they generally didn't allow her in the bedroom with the two of them - lest she try to join them in bed - for the last few nights she had at least come in to Robert's dressing room to lay contentedly at his feet while he prepared for bed, or read a newspaper. She had a small, cozy bed in the corner of her master's room where she would happily nap most of the day, and from time to time she would still nudge his leg with her snout in a puppy-like way when she wanted to take a walk about the estate.

"Oh, Isis. Sweet old girl." Cora said, rising from her vanity and heading for bed." Come."

Isis rose slowly, her back legs a little unsteady with fatigue, and she trotted into the master bedroom, looking around for Robert. Cora had always liked the dog but she knew that the pup only had eyes for Robert. Cora had always joked that about _the other woman _in Robert's life - Isis. The pup was named after the goddess of marriage and love, after all.

Robert emerged from his dressing quarters and his face lit up with he saw the dog. Isis wagged her tail in response. Cora giggled, picking up her book.

"It would appear that you will have your mistress joining you this evening." she said, "I think she has come to see this as her new nightly ritual - she was waiting just outside the door when O'Brien left and gave her quite a fright."

Robert chuckled, patting his thighs to beckon the dog over. "Frightened O'Brien, did you girl? You've still got it." He scratched her affectionately behind the ears, a favorite spot of hers. He stood up, suddenly, and headed back into the dressing room.

"Robert?" Cora inquired, looking up from her book.

"Just a minute, darling." he called, "I just want to put on some of my wool socks."

"Why?" she asked, closing her book on her finger to hold her place, "Were you cold last night?"

Emerging from the dressing room once more, socks in hand, Robert smiled. "Well, your toes kept touching mine - and giving them an awful chill."

"Robert, you know I can't sleep with socks on my feet - even on the coldest nights." she said. He came over to her and sat on the edge of the bed. Isis followed and sat obediently at his feet.

"I know, darling. But if I wear them your toes can touch mine all they please without causing frost bite."

He brought his leg up to put on the first sock and Isis whined. Her tail thumped against the floor and Robert regarded her curiously. "Cora, do you suppose they make socks for dogs?"

Putting her book on the nightstand, Cora sighed. "I don't know - but I suppose if you had socks that were small enough, you could put them on a dog's paws. Perhaps a baby's sock?"

Robert leaned down and took Isis's front paw in his hand, "Oh, Cora, her paws are actually quite cold."

Regarding his socks a moment, Robert rose and returned to his dressing quarters, emerging a few moments later with more socks.

"Robert, what are you doing?" Cora said, leaning across the bed to watch him as he knelt down next to the bed, lifting Isis's paw once again.

"I'm just going to see if, perhaps-" he began, sliding a sock onto her paw. Isis patiently waited, lifting her other paw for him as he slid on another sock. Reaching behind her to lift her back legs, Robert couldn't help but laugh. "She looks a bit ridiculous doesn't she?" he said. Isis whined. "Oh, old girl, I'm sorry."

He leaned back on his haunches and looked at her - Isis tentatively took a step, the socks confusing her senses, and she awkwardly began to trot about the room in an almost comedic little dance. She turned back to Robert and Cora, both of whom had begun to laugh affectionately, and looked at Robert with funny little half-grin.

"Oh, poor Isis." Cora said, "Robert, you mustn't let her suffer any longer, take them off."

Robert thumped the floor in front of him, calling Isis back. "Come, girl."

She trotted over, her paws angling awkwardly out as she did, and the socks falling down around her paws- she lost one on her way back, since they were far too big.

"Maybe we still have some baby socks of Sybil's?" Cora said as Robert sat back on the bed, putting the socks on his own feet now. "If they were smaller they would keep her warm without being so -" her voice hushed, "_Silly." _

Isis woofed low in approval as she circled the bed they had made for her on the other side of the room. Flopping down, she looked over at them a moment while she began to drift off.

Robert climbed into bed next to her, sliding under the covers. She slunk down next to him, laying her head upon his chest, and after a few moments, he jumped.

"Oh, Cora, your _toes, _they are like ice."

"Even with your socks?" she asked innocently, nestling closer.

"Well, my darling, the socks don't go up _that _high. . ."


End file.
